JImbo's Lake Lanier Guide Service Fishing Report: October 25, 2015

Hey Gang - I hope everyone has had the chance to get out and enjoy the incredible weather and great fishing on Lanier the past couple of weeks. Thanks to my wonderful customers, I have had plenty of opportunity to do just that as I just finished 12 trips over the last 12 days straight - Thank you! Since I am not fishing today, I thought I would at least write about fishing! As of now, the lake sits at 3.66 feet down from full pool and the surface temps are hovering around 69 degrees. The daytime warming brings the temps up over 70 most days, which is unusually warm for this time of year. This has made for some random fish activity as well. You can find fish shallow to deep and in several different types of locations around the lake. There are plenty of options right now! The lake is also experiencing some mixing of the water layers in different sections as is traditional for this time of year. As I have learned from the Lanier Biologist and shared in this forum before, while the lake doesn't officially turn over or "flip" until late December in most years, the mixing of the water layers occurs throughout the fall. The lower lake looks clear in most places right now, with more of a stained look above Browns Bridge. These conditions can certainly affect fish location and activity, so stay alert to the water conditions in the area you are fishing. The brush is still holding fish, but not everywhere. Look for the brush in 20-25 feet of water on humps and points around the mouths of creeks to about 1/3 of the way back. The brush nearest deep water, such as a creek channel, seems to be best. That quick access to deep water makes a big difference this time of the year in most cases. Keep that in mind as you explore different patterns around the lake. You will often find fish shallow this time of the year, but the better fish are always in or near deep water. We have been catching fish over and around the brush on topwater baits such as a Chug Bug and a Zara Spook, as well as on swimbaits, Spro jerkbaits, and a SuperSpin. The lack of wind this past week has made these approaches tougher. Also, a Chattahoochee Jig and their new Cross-Ball Head and Trick Worm combo have been good when the fish won't come up. We have been using a 3/8 oz Chattahoochee Jig in green with a green pumpkin Yamamoto 4" twin tail trailer in green pumpkin/black flake. For the new Chattahoochee Cross Ball, we have opted for the 1/4 oz model tipped with a Zoom Trick Worm in green pumpkin red. Other colors will work, but these have been our goto of late. We have started most mornings working the backs of creeks with the aforementioned Chattahoochee Jigs and Cross Ball Heads. This has been a great numbers pattern as we often catch 10 or more fish on our first stop. There have been some good fish mixed in as well, but we have found this to be a great way to start the day. We have found success shallow on flats as well as steeper rock banks in these locations. Sometimes we can get a crankbait or spinnerbait/buzzbait bite, but it seems more often the jig and worm are often better producers. In the category of random places to catch fish, we have found steeper rock banks and points in the mouths of creeks to be holding fish as well. Again, quick access to deep water is key. The bites often come in the 10-20 foot depth range and the Chattahoochee Jig and Cross-Ball Head have been the best lure options. Also of interest, some of the consistent autumn creek arm channels (ditches) are starting to load up with bait. That means the Classic Fall ditch bite is not far away. SuperSpins, Crankbaits, and Jerkbaits are often the fare of choice for these fish. Look for this bite to get stronger in November as the water continues to cool. Lastly, I would like to introduce a new swimbait to the market, the Swimbaits of the Sweet Bait Company. I have been using these baits over the last several months and found great success. A local company who has been working to perfect their baits before launching them to the market, Sweet Bait offers a hand-made craftsmanship second to none. Each individually created bait is layered with 12 coats of paint, and is tank tested for proper buoyancy/sink rate as well as swim cadence. The baits are offered in 5.5" and 7.5" models and come in a variety of tasty colors. They are currently offered for sale at The Dugout as well as Oakwood Bait and Tackle, but I am sure more stores will follow. I highly recommend you pick one of these Sweet Baits up soon! OPEN DATES: Here are the dates I have open in November: 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 20, and 21. The only weekend date I have open all month is Saturday, Nov 21st. The rest of them are booked. I will also be taking reservations for the week of Thanksgiving, but I have some travel mixed in over that time, so please call for availability. November is a great month to learn the Classic Lanier Ditch Bite - give me a call and let's get on it! Thanks to all and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Fishing Report: 10/10/2015

Hey Gang - Been a little while since my last post. I wanted to share some information and pics from the great fishing we have been experiencing the last couple of weeks. Fall has arrived and the fish like it! The lake had been dropping steadily over the last month until this past weekend and had reached 4.58 feet below full pool. After the rains, we currently sit a 3.08 down from full pool, and the surface temps are hovering around 72 degrees. We have had some great days out on the pond recently, and we've been throwing the fun stuff to make it happen! Topwater such as a Chug Bug, swimbaits, shallow-running jerkbaits, and a SuperSpin have been our main weapons of late. The fish have populated nicely around brush in 18-25 feet of water located at the mouths of the major creeks. There are still some main lake spots that are hot, but our efforts have mainly been focused in the creek mouths. We have seen alot of schooling fish this week in and around those areas, so be ready when they come up. If you can get in the middle while they are up, a hook up is likely. Set your equipment up to make LONG casts so you can really launch the bait when needed. On cloudy days, the schooling bite seems to be best in the mornings, and on other days, it is subject to be anytime through the day. It seems we always find a 2 hour window through the day when the bite is fast and furious. Lots of run and gun over the brush gets in done. At other times, a more methodical approach that starts on top and progresses down the water column is the best solution. Russell, who is pictured in the lower set of pics, had a particularly good day with me in the rain last week. He was a trooper and stayed with it all day, and he put a hurting on some gorgeous spotted bass. Great job Russell!! Proud of you brother! Make sure to check out my newest Facebook Fan Page "Jimbo's Fishing Seminar and Expo" which highlights all the happenings of the event we have scheduled for January 30, 2016. We already have over 400 Likes on the page, and it's growing every day. Tune in for information on our guest speakers, vendors, and giveaways, as well as special early registration incentives. We have 10 vendors secured, and guest speakers like Fisheries Biologist Patrick O'Rouke along with Highschool Fishing SuperStar Noah Pescitelli who both will provide some great insights on the many different aspects of our beloved sport. We are expecting a monster crowd for this 4th event in the Jimbo Seminar Series. Reserve your seat early and get extra raffle tickets towards winning a GLoomis Rod! As far as open dates, I just had a cancellation for this Wednesday, October 14. I also have October 28th open, and that's it for October. I am also starting to fill my November calendar quickly, so please contact me soon to reserve your date and get in on the Incredible Fall Bite on Lanier! Thanks to all, and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service Fishing Report: 9/14/2015

Hey Gang - Well the weather is cooling (finally) and we are enjoying some wonderful chilly evenings. Love the fall! The fish are changing too, which is very welcome! It has been a very gratifying week for me as I was able to help two of my tournament guys get a 1st and 2nd place recently in their respective tournaments. Always feels good to help people and see them do well! The fishing has been good the last week. We have been averaging 14-16 lbs a day on most days. We are fishing very shallow most of the day focusing on steep rock. We have been starting the day with 3 productive lures: Spro MD Crankbait in Cell Mate, a buzzbait, and a War Eagle Spinnerbait. The fish have been very active the first hour of the day. After that first hour, we have been staying with the rock and adding in some points with sharp breaks and working a Shaky Head/worm combo and a jig for some fat fish. These fish are also shallow, but very close to the deep water. While the brush is not yet holding many fish, the bait is starting to show up in force on the key fall locations around the brush. I look for the topwater and swimbait bite over the brush to really pick up in the next week or two. This is always a fun bite and a great part of fall fishing on Lanier. I'll make sure to keep everybody posted when the topwater fun starts full steam! I still have some spots open for my Lanier Fall Fishing Webinar which takes place this Wednesday evening at 7 PM. All you need is a computer, an internet connection, and a phone. We will cover the same information we covered in the live seminar back on August 15. This information will get you ready for all aspects of the Fall bite on Lanier! The cost is $59, and you can also purchase a recording of the Webinar if you cannot attend at the scheduled time. Just shoot me an email or give me a buzz if you would like to attend. As far as open days, here is what I have left open in September: 18(afternoon), 22, 23, and 28. I am also filling up for October, so please give me a call to secure your date ASAP! Thanks to all, and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo on Lanier Spotted Bass Fishing Report: 8/30/2015

Hey Gang - Man it has been a hot summer, but the promise of fall is evident, and the fish are starting to move. We have had some cool nights this week, and things are just beginning to change out on the pond. We have seen some evidence this week of fish moving back to the brush in the 25 ft. range, out from roaming over and around the timber in 40+ ft. The big ones aren't up there in force yet, but they won't be far behind. I look for the topwater and swimbait bite to bust open in the near future. I can't wait! The drop shot is still a good tactic for targeting the deeper fish, and even now with the fish starting to move shallower. The Lanier Baits offerings of Passion2 and Obsession2 have been my choices. A good option if you want a break from the off shore structure is working steep rock walls and points with a Shaky Head and a Jig. Drag them slowly and let them cascade down the sharp breaks. Make sure to pause the bait often and be patient as you wait for the strike. We have been catching these fish in the 10-20 foot range around these areas. There are some shallow fish to be had a daylight out on the points and humps. These fish are often in the 15 ft range when we have found them up there. Try a Spro Little John DD or MD crankbait or a SuperSpin tailed with Super Fluke Jr. or a Reaction Innovations Little Dipper on these fish. We have also been working shallow back in creeks for some good spots and largemouth as well. Set out with the idea of covering lots water and shallow cover. A shallow diving crankbait, a buzzbait, and a prop bait can all be good choices. A buzzbait is just plain fun to fish, and we don't get as much opportunity to fish buzzbaits on this lake as some others, but it's time is coming in tune. Look for the buzz to cough up some good ones in the next month. Here are the dates I have open in September right now: 8, 10, 14, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30. Give me a ring or drop me a note soon to get on what is sure to be some great September topwater and swimbait fishing. These dates will go fast! Thanks to everyone that came out to my Seminar on August 15th. We had a good crowd and it was awesome to see everyone. I will have the DVD from the event out shortly, and I will also soon be scheduling a Webinar which will cover the same seminar information, all for those that were not able to attend due to travel or other commitments. MARK SATURDAY, JANUARY 30TH, 2016 ON YOUR CALENDAR NOW! We are planning a BLOWOUT Seminar for this date to focus on every aspect of Spring Fishing on Lanier. We are well into the planning stages for this event already which will offer a longer program than we have offered in the past. We have 9 vendors committed to the event, as well as several guest speakers who will address and teach the crowd in separate break-out sessions on topics such as the Float 'n Fly. We will also be offering rod giveaways, product raffles, plenty of giveaways, a fishing trip raffle, and more! We are also working on some special guest speakers to include a lake biologist to help shed some light on the scientific aspects of fishing the lake. Further, we are close to securing a special speaker who will address the growing aspects of High School and College Fishing in a breakout format. We are expecting over 200 people at this event and we now have the space to accommodate the demand. Registration will open as soon as we cement the final details. This one will be a no-miss opportunity and a great way to shake off the winter blahs. Mark Jan 30, 2016 on your calendar right now and plan to come join us for an outstanding event. I want to close with a shout out to John Megel Chevy up on 400/19 in Dawsonville. What an outstanding operation they can boast up there. Their attention to detail and customer service are second to none. They really bailed me out of a jam about a week ago and did everything necessary to keep me working! Thank you! My Chevy is getting a little older now, and I know I will be giving my business to John Megel when it comes time to buy a new Jimbo Truck. I suggest you give them a look for your purchasing or servicing needs. You won't regret it! Thanks to all, and May God Bless Jimbo

JImbo's Lake Lanier Fishing Report and AUGUST 15 SEMINAR REMINDER: 8/9/2015

Hey Gang! Sorry for the delay in reporting. Unfortunately I had some back issues flare up recently and I have also been preparing for the upcoming seminar on August 15, in addition to guiding 4 days a week through August. Been pretty busy lately! I appreciate all that have signed up for the August 15th Class. We have a good crowd coming and we have a great event planned for you. I do still have a few seats left for anyone interested in learning more about fishing the fall and early winter on Lanier. This is going to be a very informative and in-depth program folks. We will have some great vendors, raffles, and giveaways too. And donuts! Can't forget the donuts. LOL. The flyer with all the details is posted above in the pictures. Would love to have you come out to network with other Lanier anglers and learn some cool stuff. Give me a call or drop me an email to register. I am using this post to catch up on some pictures from the last month or so - we have really caught some big fish this summer. The bottom slide of pictures are from spottail trips, the rest are on artificials, mainly topwater. As far as right now, it is definitely August on Lanier. The surface temps are hovering in the upper 80's to near 90 and the lake sits at 3.31 feet down from full pool and dropping as of this post. I will say the afternoon bite has been much better than the morning bite of late. It just seems the fish are not moving around much in the mornings when the lake is quiet. When we have storms role through in the evening however, the bite seems to be better the next morning. The water cooling down slightly seems to trigger the better bite. With all that said, here is a recap of what we have been doing. There are still some fish schooling in the early mornings around humps that offer quick access to deep water. Sometimes the fish are shallow, and sometimes they are out over 80 feet of water or more. The best you can do is get in the right area and wait for the blowups. When they come, fire a bait in there ASAP. A Sammy and a fluke have been our best baits for these fish. After the schooling bite ends, we have found a decent bite on steep rock banks with wood cover. This has been our best post-schooling bet. A shaky head and a jig will both get bites in these situations. The drop shot has been the deal for us in the afternoons. 30-40 feet has been the best depth for the better fish. Obviously deeper brush or timber edges are a plus, but there are often fish just hanging between the brush and timber. Make sure to drop on these fish as well. The biting fish are not always tight to cover. There are still days when we get a mid-day topwater bite. A gunfish and a chug bug, along with a fluke will sometimes get bites through day over deeper brush (30 feet). Here is what I have left open for trips in August: 18, 19, 21, 25, 26, and 27. Now is a great time to learn how to get those finicky deep summer fish to bite. Also, my September is filling up quickly as I already have several dates on the books. If you would like to get in on what is sure to be some great topwater and swimbait action, make sure to reserve your date ASAP. Thanks to all, and May God Bless - Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Fishing Report for Spotted Bass and Largemouth: 7/5/2015

Hey Gang - Happy 4th of July weekend to everyone. The AM weather the last couple of days forced some trip postponements, so I have enjoyed a relaxing 3 day weekend off - the first one I have had in a LONG time! It has been nice. I hope you all enjoyed some time with family and friends as together we celebrated our Nation's Independence. The fishing last week made a nice rebound with the rain and cooler temps. The water temps also made a significant drop as we went from 86 on the surface down to 81 in many places. The water level sits at exactly 1.50 feet below full pool at the time of this report. The most welcome change was the return of the topwater bite. It had gone down hill significantly with the heat wave, but rebounded nicely with the cooler weather. The top frame of pictures show some of the recent topwater results from this week with Michael, and on a separate trip Austin and his Grandfather, all spanking some nice topwater fish. The gunfish was by far the most productive bait for us through the week, and the standard brush in 20-30 feet was the location. The jig and dropshot were also both very productive through the week with the jig getting the nod for better size fish and the DS for better numbers. No surprise here. That may change as I now have in my possession the New Lanier Baits offerings, which look awesome. They will be getting a workout this week and I look forward to posting some positive results. We have also been picking up some crankbait fish on the SPRO Little John dd. That has been a good option around the brush when the other techniques mentioned above will not produce or have already produced and you're looking for another option to serve them. Something else for you to try as you are out there exploring. Lastly, I want to congratulate Tanya O. on an outstanding spottail outing recently as she hammered some big fish with this fun technique (bottom frame of pics). She has been out with me 3 times this year already and caught them good on artificals previously, but really enjoyed the ease of spottail fishing. The big ones were biting that morning and she had a field day! Her first fish was her biggest at about 4.5 lbs (2nd from right), but most of what she caught that day was in the 3.5 lbs range or bigger. Outstanding day Tanya! The seminar registrations for my August 15th event have been going very well. Thanks for all the calls. We have moved to a larger venue to accommodate the increased demand as we sold out our previous seminar in January. The August 15th Seminar will focus on Fall and Early Winter techniques and is sure to be a big hit. Don't miss out on this valuable learning opportunity. The advance registration price (by Aug 1) is $89, so call or email me at 770-542-7764/jim@laniermapped.com to register. Thanks! I have morning trips booked each day this coming week (July 6-10), but have the afternoons open each day if anyone would like to come out. I anticipate the afternoons to be the best topwater bite. Here are the other dates I have open in July: 16, 20, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, and 31. Give me a buzz and let's get out there and catch 'em up! Thanks to all and May God Bless! Jimbo

Jimbo's Lake Lanier Fishing Guide Service Fishing Report and Seminar Announcement: 6/21/2015

Hey Gang - Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! It has been awhile since my last report. I apologize for the delay, but y'all have been keeping me very busy! I have been guiding 6 days a week, often doing a full day trip followed by a half day trip to accommodate all my new folks and regulars as well. Those 14 hour fishing days keep me going with not much time for anything else. LOL. I still love it and appreciate everyone so much. Thank you! I just hate the thought of turning anyone away. Guiding my customers is my priority. If you want to fish, I will find a time for you! Before we get to the fishing, I am excited to announce that my next Seminar has been set. Saturday, August 15, 2015 will be the next installment in the Jimbo Seminar Series. The last one was very well attended as we maxed out space with over 100 people, so we have found a larger venue to host the next event. We will focus on techniques for Fall and Early Winter Fishing on Lanier, and will cover key topics such as: Brush Fishing, Topwater and Swimbaits, Deepwater Dropshot, SuperSpin in the ditches, Effective Use of Crankbaits in the Fall, Spoon Fishing, Early Winter Jig Fishing, along with Lure and Tackle choices with examples for every technique. We will have more vendors as well as some great door prizes and raffles. Refreshments will be served. Seminar will start at 8:30 AM and conclude at 12:30 PM. Doors open at 7:30 AM and we will have a mid-morning break. Also, for those interested and to make sure everyone's questions get answered, I will host a special post-seminar round-table from 12:45 PM - 1:30 PM for anyone that wants to stay afterwards. The event will be held at Grace Chapel here in Cumming, which is conveniently located off Exit 13 from GA 400 at 6755 Majors Road. Call me direct or email me to register. 770-542-7764 or jim@laniermapped.com. Cost is $89 if you register and pay by August 1, 2015, or $115 at the door. Can't wait to see you all there for what promises to be another outstanding event that is sure to get you prepared for the awesome fall fishing on Lanier! Speaking of fishing, why don't we talk about that! The bite on Lanier remains very good. More options have opened up in terms of patterns with the warmer weather. Topwater is still there, it's just not as much of an all-day thing as it was. We are still finding very good stretches with the Gunfish throughout the day in the right places. The 20-25 ft. brush located near a sharper depth break seems to be much more consistent than the brush on the flatter stuff. Look for points and humps with deep water nearby and with significant contour breaks to be your best bet for the topwater and swimbait bite right now. The first hour of the day still offers a good schooling bite around steeper rocky points and deeper bays. You can generally call up a few, but getting in the middle of the action is still your best bet. Next up is the SuperSpin. This bite has really came on in the last couple of weeks. Slow reeling the bait over 20-25 ft. brush or throwing it into schooling fish has been very effective. We have been tipping a 1/2 oz SuperSpin with a Little Dipper or a Swimming Fluke. Steady reel the bait with an occasional rod pop to trigger strikes from followers. We have also found a good jig bite on rocky points in the 15-20 ft range as well as in the brush. Slow drag a 3/8 Chattahoochee Jig in PBJ on rocky points for some nice fish. A 5" Yamamoto twin tail in Cinn/Black Flake is my trailer of choice. Also, work the same jig slowly through brush when the fish will not come up. A drop shot has been effective also in picking up those less aggressive fish in an around brush in the 20-30 ft range. I am looking forward to trying Lanier Bait's new selection of Drop Shot worms as they have been getting a bunch of attention on social media recently. I think Jimmy has some on the way to me now... I have some great pics to share this week with some great stories. Up top, the three on the right are Jason and his son Jackson. They were out with me on a topwater trip recently and just POUNDED monster spots. 9 year old Jackson caught the first one a gunfish all by himself. He is one awesome little angler. Watch out gang, this kids coming!! On the second row, we again have Tom D with his very own highlight reel, as usual. Tom has been out with me on several trips this year and on his last trip had the best fishing trip of his life on topwater. He came back 2 weeks later and came close to doing it again. We started on a bream bed bite that morning and caught 2 big LM first thing, and when the sun got up we ran the brush for some big spots on a chug bug. He has come so far this year with me, his progress really makes me proud. Great job Tom!! On the bottom set of pics are some results from a couple of recent spot tail trips I have done. Campbell and Smith are pictured on the right, and on the left side, young Nicholas. He was out with me on a very successful spot tail trip a few years ago which we caught on video and is still up on my website. Well, a much more grown-up Nicholas came back for another round and had another great day. It was awesome to see how much he had grown up and advanced in his fishing. Spot tail fish is a great way to just catch fish. Young, old, experienced or not, it's a blast. Make sure to schedule your spot tail trip for this summer! Here is what I have open for the first part of July: 2, 6, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Also have a few dates open later in the month. July is a great time to work on the SuperSpin bite, Deep Water Dropshot, and jig bite, not to mention some topwater here and there. As I mentioned above, it's also a great time to spot tail fish. Give me a call and let's go catching!! Thanks to all, and May God Bless! Jimbo